Refrigerator And/Or Freezer Device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a refrigerator and/or freezer device having at least one body with at least one full vacuum insulation body element, and having at least one cooled inner chamber arranged inside said body, the device comprising at least one coolant circuit for cooling the inner chamber, and the entire coolant circuit being made as an assembly that is inserted into the body.

The present invention relates to a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit having at least one carcass that has at least one full vacuum insulation body and having at least one cooled inner space arranged in the carcass, wherein the unit has at least one refrigerant circuit that serves the cooling of the inner space.

Such refrigerator and/or freezer devices are known from the prior art.

A full vacuum insulation body is here preferably understood within the framework of the present invention such that the carcass of the unit comprises a continuous vacuum insulation space over 90% of the insulation surface.

The full vacuum insulation body in accordance with the present invention preferably comprises a film bag whose inner space is filled with a support material such as perlite and in whose inner space there is a vacuum.

This full vacuum insulation body in accordance with the present invention can only be located in the region of the carcass or also additionally in the closure element, i.e. in the door, the drawer or lid of the unit, by means of which the cooled inner space can be closed.

The envelope of the film bag is typically a diffusion-tight covering by means of which the gas input in the film bag is reduced so much that the increase in thermal conductivity, caused by the gas input, of the vacuum insulation body that is produced is sufficiently small over its service life.

A time period of 15 years, preferably of 20 years, and particularly preferably of 30 years, is to be considered as the service life, for example. The increase in the thermal conductivity of the vacuum insulation body caused by gas input is preferably <100%, and particularly preferably <50%, over its service life.

The surface-specific gas flow rate of the cover is preferably <10⁻⁵ mbar*l/s*m² and particularly preferably <10⁻⁶ mbar*l/s*m² (measured according to ASTM D-3985). This gas flow rate applies to nitrogen and to oxygen. There are likewise low gas flow rates for other types of gas (in particular steam), preferably in the range from <10⁻² mbar*l/s*m² and particularly preferably in the range from <10⁻³ mbar*l/s*m² (measured according to ASTM F-1249-90). The aforesaid small increases in the thermal conductivity are preferably achieved by these small gas flow rates.

The above-named values are exemplary, preferred indications that do not restrict the invention.

There is preferably no further insulation material such as PU foam except for the full thermal insulation.

The refrigerator unit or freezer unit in accordance with the invention is configured with such a full thermal insulation that preferably has one or more of the aforesaid features and that forms a component of the body and that is optionally additionally arranged in the closure element.

A full-area vacuum insulation has far-reaching consequences for the function of the refrigerator unit or freezer unit. Due to the greatly reduced thermal incursion into the cooled inner space, the required refrigeration capacity is reduced and, due to the thereby lower thermal flows, the demands on the heat exchanger (evaporator, condenser) of the refrigerant circuit are changed.

It must be noted with a full vacuum insulation in accordance with the present invention that heat bridges in the insulation have an influence on the total heat loss or total heat input into the cooled inner space that is increased percentage-wise. Feed-throughs through the vacuum insulation space here represent an increased complexity and are to be avoided as much as possible to achieve a sufficient quality level in production.

It is thus the underlying object of the present invention to further develop a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit of the initially named kind such that a production of the full vacuum insulation body, whose manufacture is comparatively complex, is ensured that is as simple and thus as reliable as possible.

This object is achieved by a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit having the feature of claim 1. Provision is accordingly made in accordance with the invention that the complete refrigerant circuit is configured as an assembly that is placed into the carcass. It is to be understood by this that the assembly is placed onto the carcass in a suitable manner. The term “into” does not mean that the total assembly is located within the carcass, i.e. within the cooled inner space.

The assembly is preferably connected to the carcass such that some of the component of the refrigerant circuit are arranged within the cooled inner space and some of the components of the refrigerant circuit are arranged outside the cooled inner space.

Provision is made in a further aspect of the invention that at least one, and preferably exactly one, cut-out at the marginal side is arranged in the full vacuum insulation body through which the suction line extends from the evaporator to the compressor of the refrigerant circuit and which is provided with at least one thermal insulation, preferably with at least one conventional thermal insulation.

The changed conditions due to the use of a full vacuum system are taken into account by both aspects that can also be present in combination.

It is achieved by the use of an assembly that comprises the complete coolant circuit, i.e. the evaporator, suction line, compressor, condenser, and a restrictor or capillary, that the full vacuum insulation body can be designed as comparatively simple since there is only the demand as part of the production that the assembly is placed in an appropriate manner into or onto the carcass without a plurality of feed-throughs being required in the full vacuum insulation body.

It is particularly advantageous here if the full vacuum insulation body has at least one, and preferably exactly one, cut-out or recess at the marginal side through which at least the suction line extends from the evaporator to the compressor.

The capillary through which the refrigerant moves from the condenser to the evaporator preferably also extends through said cut-out at the marginal side.

The capillary can extend within the suction line.

In a preferred embodiment, the complete refrigerant circuit is subsequently pushed onto the prefabricated full vacuum housing, i.e. onto the carcass having the full vacuum insulation body, such that the suction pipe is disposed in the recess of the full vacuum housing. It can then be over-insulated by a conventional insulation such as a foaming.

At least one defrost water line can furthermore be provided by means of which water from the cooled inner space is led off, with this defrost water line also likewise extending through said cut-out at the marginal side that is also called a recess in the following.

In this case, not only the feed-through for the defrost water drain extends through the recess, but also the suction pipe.

The defrost water drain is preferably provided with or covered by a thermal insulation, with it in this case also preferably being a conventional thermal insulation.

Provision is made in a further embodiment of the invention that the suction line runs at least sectionally along the outer side of the full vacuum insulation body or of the carcass and that at least one thermal insulation, preferably a conventional thermal insulation such as a PU foam, of the suction line is present over a part section or over the total length of the suction line extending on the outer side.

Provision can furthermore be made that the refrigerant circuit is in the base region of the unit. It is conceivable here that the assembly is arranged at the base region of the unit such that the evaporator is above the base, i.e. in the cooled inner space, and the compressor and the condenser are below the base, i.e. outside the cooled inner space.

In this case, a “base unit” is provided that has the compressor and the condenser and that furthermore has the evaporator arranged within the cooled inner space.

The assembly can comprise at least one fan that conveys the air cooled by the evaporator into the cooled inner space or circulates it therein.

An arrangement of the assembly in a different section of the refrigerator unit or freezer unit such as at the rear side of the carcass is generally also conceivable.

The present invention is not restricted to cabinet-like refrigerator units and/or freezer units, but also comprises chest refrigerators or chest freezers.

The full vacuum insulation body can, for example, have a simple rectangular shape comparable with a shoe box and can have no or only smaller elevated portions or depressions.

It is preferred for the full vacuum insulation body to have no apertures.

Provision is preferably made that the full vacuum insulation body only has one single recess, namely the initially named opening at the marginal side that forms a recess to the plane of the door or to the plane of the closure element. As stated above, this recess preferably forms the reception for the lines of the refrigeration technology, with these lines preferably having a conventional insulation cover locally.

Provision is made in a further embodiment of the invention that the full vacuum insulation body has at least one film—as initially stated—with the film being designed as a pushed in square bottom bag.

It can have film folds in the region of the recess that provide the excess film required to form the recess.

The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with the invention, wherein a method step comprises the placing of the complete refrigerant circuit into the carcass as an assembly. The placement takes place here such that at least the suction line is arranged in said recess, i.e. in the cut-out of the carcass or of the full vacuum insulation body at the marginal side.

As stated above, the prefabricated assembly can have at least one compressor, condenser, restrictor or capillary, evaporator, including the connection lines, and optionally one or more fans that serve the generation of an airflow over the evaporator and/or over the condenser.

It is conceivable that the refrigerant circuit is already filled with refrigerant on the placement into the carcass.

As stated the suction pipe and optionally a further conduit of the refrigerant circuit has/have a cover insulation in the region of the recess and optionally of the sections adjacent thereto, preferably using conventionally used insulating materials such as a PU foaming, to extend the thermal path through the metal pipes and to reduce the heat loss.

The refrigerant circuit that is configured as an assembly is furthermore preferably designed with all the actuators such as valves, etc. that are required to operate the refrigerant circuit. The same preferably also applies accordingly to a control or regulation unit for controlling or regulating the refrigerant circuit.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. There are shown:

FIG. 1: schematic longitudinal sectional views of the carcass before and after the placing of the refrigerant circuit; and

FIGS. 2A-2E: different views of a refrigerant unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with the invention in accordance with FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows by reference numeral 10 the carcass of a refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with the invention.

The carcass has an inner container 12, an outer skin or an outer jacket 14, and full vacuum insulation 16 arranged therebetween. No further thermal insulation is provided except for this full vacuum insulation.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the carcass 10 is designed in box-shape in longitudinal section. The inner container or the inner skin 12 can e.g. be designed as a plastic part and in particular as a deep-drawn PS part. The outer envelope 14 can comprise sheet metal or plastic with a metal sheet that can be plugged on.

The film forming the vacuum insulation body 16 or forming its outer envelope is completely protected by the inner container 12 and by the outer skin 14.

As can further be seen from FIG. 1, the refrigerator unit or freezer unit in accordance with the invention has an assembly 20 that comprises the complete refrigerant circuit including the required actuators such as valves and optionally control means or regulation means such as a control or regulation unit for controlling or regulating the components of the refrigerant circuit.

As can be seen from FIG. 1 and as is indicated by the arrow, the assembly 20 is placed onto the base B of the carcass 10 from the front so that the state shown in FIG. 1 (right illustration) results. The total refrigerant circuit is thus subsequently pushed onto the prefabricated vacuum housing 10.

The components of the assembly 20 comprise the compressor 21, a line 22 between the compressor and the condenser 23, the condenser 23, a capillary 24 from the condenser and the evaporator 25, and the evaporator 25, the suction line 27 from the evaporator 25 to the compressor 21.

One or more fans 26 are furthermore provided that convey the cold air generated in the evaporator 25 into the cooled inner space.

The capillary 24 can extend sectionally, in particular in the region of the recess R (cf. FIG. 2C) within the suction line.

FIG. 2A shows in illustration a) the base region of the refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with the invention in longitudinal section with installed refrigerant circuit and with the door 100 that closes the unit at the front side.

FIGS. 2B to 2E show the sectional views in accordance with the lines A-A to E-E in FIG. 2A.

As can be seen from FIG. 2A and from FIG. 1, the compressor 21 and the condenser 23 are below the base B of the carcass 10 and the evaporator 25 and the fan 26 are above the base B of the carcass 10 and thus in the cooled inner space.

It results from FIG. 2C that the base B of the carcass 10 has a recess R at the marginal side, i.e. open to the front at one side, in the region of the door, i.e. at the front side.

Said recess thus extends between the upper side and the lower side of the base B or between the environment and the cooled inner space. The suction line 27 and a defrost water drain that leads defrost water from the evaporator or from the cooled inner space to the exterior extend through this recess or through the cut-out at the marginal side.

The suction line 27 extends, as can be seen from FIG. 2A, for example, not only through this recess, but also through a partial distance along the lower side of the carcass 10 toward the compressor.

The suction pipe 27 has a conventional insulation cover, i.e., for example, by means of a foaming, to avoid heat losses or a heat input.

The same applies accordingly to the recess R that is likewise thermally insulated to ideally seal the opening between the outside space and the cooled inner space in a technical heat aspect.

FIG. 2B shows the view in accordance with the line B-B in FIG. 2A and illustrates that the evaporator 25 is embedded in a heat exchanger W1. This heat exchanger can be a latent heat store, for example.

Reference symbols KT and GT designate fans that serve as examples for conveying cold air into the refrigerating part and freezing part.

A view in accordance with the section line D-D can be seen from FIG. 2D. This line shows the arrangement in the region below the base B of the carcass 10. The compressor 21 and the condenser 23 can be seen here. The condenser is arranged in a water bath that serves as a heat buffer.

FIG. 2E shows the sectional view in accordance with the section line E-E in accordance with FIG. 2A and illustrates the arrangement of the heat exchangers W1 and W2. They are configured such that the condenser or the evaporator or the conduits forming them extend within these heat exchangers.

It can furthermore be seen from FIG. 2E that the suction line 27 extends in a part section toward the compressor below the base B of the carcass 10.

As already state above, FIG. 2C shows the arrangement in accordance with the section line C-C in FIG. 2A and illustrates the arrangement of the recess R in the full vacuum housing 10.

The case is also covered by the invention that only the carcass 10 is equipped with a full vacuum insulation and the door 100 has conventional thermal insulation such as a foaming.

However, the case is also covered by the invention that the door 100 or another closure element such as the lid of a chest is configured with full vacuum insulation.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the assembly of the refrigerant circuit also comprises one or more blowers 26 in the present embodiment.

The air guidance is introduced into the internal container on the final assembly. It is preferably to be understood as channels or the like that carry out an air guidance of the air guided by the fan or fans into the corresponding cooled regions of the cooled inner space. 

1. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit having at least one carcass that has at least one full vacuum insulation body and having at least one cooled inner space arranged in the carcass, wherein the unit has at least one refrigerant circuit that serves the cooling of the inner space, characterized in that the complete refrigerant circuit is configured as an assembly that is placed into the carcass.
 2. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit having at least one carcass that has at least one full vacuum insulation body and having at least one cooled inner space arranged in the carcass, wherein the unit has at least one refrigerant circuit that serves the cooling of the inner space, characterized in that at least one cut-out at the marginal side is arranged in the full vacuum insulation body through which the suction line extends from the evaporator to the compressor and which is provided with at least one thermal insulation.
 3. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one cut-out at the marginal side is arranged in the full vacuum insulation body through which the suction line extends from the evaporator to the compressor and which is provided with at least one thermal insulation.
 4. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at least one defrost line is furthermore present by means of which water is drained from the cooled inner space, with the defrost water drain likewise extending through the cut-out at the marginal side.
 5. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the refrigerant circuit has at least one suction line that extends from the evaporator to the compressor of the refrigerant circuit and that at least sectionally runs along the outer side of the vacuum insulation body or of the carcass; and in that at least one thermal insulation of the suction line is present over a part section or over the total length of the suction line extending on the outer side of the vacuum insulation body.
 6. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the refrigerant circuit is in the base region of the unit.
 7. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum insulation body and the carcass are configured in box shape.
 8. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the vacuum-tight envelope of the vacuum insulation body at least partly comprises a film, with the film being designed as a pushed in square bottom bag.
 9. A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that the square bottom bag has film folds in the region of the cut-out that provide the excess film required to form the recess.
 10. A method of manufacturing a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the complete refrigerant circuit is designed as an assembly that is placed into the carcass.
 11. A method in accordance with claim 10, characterized in that the refrigerant circuit is filled with refrigerant on insertion; and/or in that the refrigerant circuit is placed in such that its suction line is at least sectionally arranged in at least one cut-out at the marginal side and the cut-out is arranged in the full vacuum insulation body through which the suction line extends from the evaporator to the compressor and which is provided with at least one thermal insulation.
 12. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 1, wherein the vacuum insulation body and the carcass are configured in box shape, with provision being made that the vacuum insulation body has no apertures.
 13. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that at least one defrost line is furthermore present by means of which water is drained from the cooled inner space, with the defrost water drain likewise extending through the cut-out at the marginal side.
 14. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the refrigerant circuit has at least one suction line that extends from the evaporator to the compressor of the refrigerant circuit and that at least sectionally runs along the outer side of the vacuum insulation body or of the carcass; and in that at least one thermal insulation of the suction line is present over a part section or over the total length of the suction line extending on the outer side of the vacuum insulation body.
 15. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the refrigerant circuit is in the base region of the unit.
 16. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the vacuum insulation body and the carcass are configured in box shape.
 17. A refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the vacuum-tight envelope of the vacuum insulation body at least partly comprises a film, with the film being designed as a pushed in square bottom bag.
 18. A refrigerator unit and/or freezer unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the square bottom bag has film folds in the region of the cut-out that provide the excess film required to form the recess.
 19. A method of manufacturing a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the complete refrigerant circuit is designed as an assembly that is placed into the carcass. 